2025 Blind Spot Series: A Star is Born (1954 film)

 

Based on the 1937 film written by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell from a story by Carson and its director William A. Wellman, A Star is Born is the story of a film star who meets and discovers a young singer/actress whom he would marry and make her famous only for his career to go downwards. Directed by George Cukor and screenplay by Moss Hart, the film is the 2nd version of the story from 1937 as it explores a woman who falls in love with an actor as her career goes on the rise while she struggles to watch her husband spiral into descent. Starring Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Tommy Noonan, and Charles Bickford. A Star is Born is a majestically rich and intoxicating film by George Cukor.

The film is the story of a fading film star who meets a singer at an event as he is amazed by her talent as he helps make her into a film star where she would succeed beyond his expectations with his own career going on decline. It is a story that is a rise-and-fall story of sorts, yet the rise is towards this young woman trying to get a break to become a singer and the fall is towards the man who would fall in love with her with his own career going into decline. Moss Hart’s screenplay opens and ends with a ceremony that celebrates the film stars as the opening scene revolves around the fading film star Norman Maine (James Mason) who arrives late at the event, intoxicated on alcohol. Also, at the show there is a singer in Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) who is also part of a band as she sings on the stage where she saves Maine from embarrassing himself. Realizing what she did for him, Maine would find her singing at a nightclub with the band as he is amazed by her singing talents as he would get the attention of a film studio head and longtime friend in Oliver Niles (Charles Bickford) to sign her as she would be known as Vicki Lester.

The script does have a traditional narrative structure where Hart show the signs of Maine’s decline as he would act in films that were successful for a time, but his alcoholism has made him a liability. The film’s second act is about Blodgett’s sudden rise and Maine becoming unemployed though Blodgett does want a simple life for herself and Maine without the demands of Hollywood. Even as Maine starts to lose his identity as a star with Blodgett rising as Lester to the point that she would eclipse him. The third act is about Blodgett rising further with Maine descending further as Niles offers to help him but one of Maine’s faults as a person is his pride as it is one of the reasons for his own self-destruction.

George Cukor’s direction is wondrous in its grand setting as it is shot on various locations in California including studio lots at Warner Brothers. The film opens and ends at the Shrine Auditorium where it will be 2 pivotal events for Blodgett. The opening sequence has Cukor using some wide and medium shots through the Cinemascope format where he captures the spectacle of this event. Even as he shoots a shot from Blodgett’s perspective where Maine is on the side of the stage about to make a fool of himself where the compositions and movements of the cameras have Cukor show a sense of suspense and drama in an otherwise lively and musical moment. Cukor also maintains simplicity in some of the musical numbers as well as the dramatic scenes with the usage of medium shots and close-ups. There are also these extravagant musical numbers where shots would linger for a while through dolly-tracking shots in some scenes. Aiding in the musical numbers is choreographer Richard Barstow where there is a lot that happens in the dance numbers.

Notably the scenes where Blodgett is doing dance numbers that are being filmed where there is a lot of detail into the overall presentation of the dancing and where Cukor would move the camera from one part of the location to another. Cukor’s approach to melodrama is also riveting in a scene late in the film where both Blodgett and Niles lament over Maine’s state as well as what to do. It adds poignancy to the conflict that is in Maine over his own pride and what he wants for Blodgett. The version of the film that is available widely to the public is a restored 178-minute cut (including a 2-minute intermission) in 1983 from the original 1954 182-minute premiere version of the film. A lot of footage was cut from its premiere version much to the dismay of Cukor but the 1983 restoration that includes a lot of still pictures and audio from lost scenes from much of the film’s first act does play into Blodgett’s own fears about making and what Maine wants to do for her. The small moments that got cut for the version many saw in the theaters in 1954 with a 154-minute running time does lose a lot of the weight into the drama that would loom for the second and third act. Overall, Cukor crafts a heart-wrenching yet exhilarating film about a fading film star sacrificing his own career for a talented singer/actress whom she would eclipse his own fame.

Cinematographer Sam Leavitt does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography through the Cinemascope format as there is a vibrancy into many of the film’s interior shots for some scenes at night along with some subtle touches of naturalism for some of the daytime exterior scenes at the studio lots. Editor Folmar Blangsted, with additional work by Craig Holt for the 1983 restoration version, does excellent work with the editing in some rhythmic cuts to play to some of the musical numbers as well as in some of the dramatic moments in the film. Production designer Gene Allen, with set decorator George James Hopkins and art director Malcolm C. Bert, does amazing work with the look of the Maine house where he and Blodgett would live as well as the sets created for some of the musical numbers. Costume designers Jean Louis and Mary Ann Nyberg do fantastic work with the costumes with the clothes and gowns that Blodgett would wear being the major standout.

Makeup artists Del Armstrong and Gordon Bau, along with hair stylists Helen Young and Sydney Guilaroff, do terrific work with the look of Blodgett in some of the musical numbers she does for the films she is acting in plus one key scene in the first act where she is given one of the worst Hollywood makeovers ever. Special effects supervisor Hans F. Koenekamp, along with the work of Lisze Bechtold, Eric Durst, Kevin Kutchaver, and Ken Rudolph in the 1983 restoration version, does nice work with some of the visual effects for a few dance numbers and rear projection for some of the driving scenes while the pictures used for the restoration allow the film to bring more weight into what Cukor wanted originally in the film before it got re-cut. The sound work of Charles David Forrest and Charles Lang is superb for the sound work in how sound is presented on set as well as how sound appears from another room and in that room for some of the dramatic moments.

The film’s music by Ray Heindorf is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score that plays into the excitement of Blodgett’s rise as well as themes that play into Maine’s decline. The songs by Ira Gershwin and Harold Arlen are incredible for the musical numbers that Blodgett performs in that include some of the songs she sings for the movies she is in as well as a song she sings at home and the ballad at a nightclub where Maine visits.

The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from an un-credited Strother Martin as a deliveryman, Hazel Shermet as Libby’s secretary, Irving Bacon as a singer in the film’s opening number Graves, Amanda Blake as the radio host Susan Etting, and Lucy Marlow as a young starlet in Lola Lavery who works for Niles. Tommy Noonan is fantastic as Blodgett’s bandmate, who is unsure about Maine’s claims into making her a star though he would be supportive of her as well as giving a great monologue towards the end of the film about everything that had happened. Jack Carson is excellent as the studio publicist Matt Libby who does what he can to clean up Maine’s mess and such until late in the film where he proves to be unsympathetic towards Maine’s own issues. Charles Bickford is brilliant as the studio head Oliver Niles as a man who is Maine’s best friend as he does what he can to make sure Maine gets work, but he also must run a studio where he later converses with Blodgett about how to help Maine.

James Mason is great as Norman Maine as a fading film star who laments over his decline as he discovers Blodgett and helps her becoming a big film/music star where he later copes with his alcoholism, wounded pride, and a career that is going nowhere. Mason does have moments where he is upbeat and full of energy as it highlights the man at his best, but it becomes fleeting where he is often faced with uncertainty in his life. Finally, there is Judy Garland in a spectacular performance as Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester as a singer who wows Maine where she would gain a career only to unknowingly eclipse the man she loves. It is a performance where Garland displays a lot of charisma and energy as well as a vulnerability that plays into a woman that wants to help the man she loves to the point that she is willing to sacrifice her own career as it is one of her iconic performances.

A Star is Born is an outstanding film by George Cukor that features tremendous leading performances from Judy Garland and James Mason. Along with its supporting cast, a riveting screenplay by Moss Hart, a gorgeous presentation, and a dazzling music soundtrack with musical performances that are insatiable to watch. It is a film that is not just this compelling musical drama but also a film about ambition and love. In the end, A Star is Born is a magnificent film by George Cukor.

Related: A Star is Born (1937 film) - (A Star is Born (1976 film)) – A Star is Born (2018 film)

© thevoid99 2025

The Beatles Anthology (2025 Expanded/Restored Edition)

 

Directed by Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray and written by Bob Smeaton and Oliver Murray, The Beatles Anthology is a multi-part TV documentary series about the life and career of the Beatles featuring archival footage, rare audio, and interviews with the then-surviving members of the Beatles in the mid-1990s. The film breaks down events in the individual lives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr along with perspectives from personnel who were around the band at the time. Even as the surviving members would create new music with demos from John Lennon during the making of the documentary. Expanded in 2025 based on VHS/DVD expanded releases from the late 1990s/early 2000s with a new episode directed by Bob Smeaton, the newly remastered and expanded edition of the documentary series showcases missing gaps from the story of the Beatles as well as showcase rare footage from the mid-1990s of McCartney, Harrison, and Starr creating new music to Lennon’s demos. The result is a tremendously rich and intoxicating documentary series about one of the greatest music acts of the 20th century as they tell their own story.

From their formation in 1960 to their dissolution in 1970, the Beatles were four lads from Liverpool who changed the world with their music as they became a cultural phenomenon. For years, the story of the Beatles had been told by many following their break-up and John Lennon’s death in 1980. However, the story has often been told by outsiders who had seen their ascent from afar but not from the band themselves where in 1991 following years legal and personal strife. The then-surviving members in Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr decided to do a documentary series where they would tell the story of the Beatles from their words and perspective as well as archival footage from Lennon before his passing. Along with interviews from associates close to the Beatles including music producer George Martin, longtime assistant/road manager Neil Aspinall, and press officer Derek Taylor. The project that would become The Beatles Anthology would be a multi-media project featuring a TV documentary series, a book, and a trilogy of double-albums featuring rare and unreleased material including two new songs in Free as a Bird and Real Love based on cassette demos Lennon made back in the late 1970s.

Through archival footage, newsreels, clips from various TV performances, music videos, films, and other material including some rare footage, the original broadcast of the TV documentary series was shown in three episodes each with a 2-hour running time although it did not tell the whole story. Then in 1996 through VHS cassette tapes and Laserdisc, the documentary series was expanded into eight episodes as it would later be released on the DVD format in 2003. The documentary series has McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Martin, Aspinall, and Taylor talking about the Beatles and their ascent into mega-stardom as well as the difficulties of success and chaos of Beatlemania during the mid-1960s. The narrative does tell a lot into the many periods of the Beatles though it ends in August of 1969 where the band did a final photoshoot where it would be the last time all four men were in a room or a location together. The series does not dwell too much into the break-up and the official announcement of their dissolution in 1970 as it was a subject that the surviving members of the Beatles were uncomfortable talking about at length.

With the aid of cinematographer Eugene O’Connor, directors Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray would have the surviving Beatles talk in certain places whether it is McCartney on a tugboat or in the woods, Starr in Los Angeles, and Harrison in his home in London. The interviews that are conducted by Smeaton and musician Jools Holland are fascinating as it highlights the three members in casual moments including scenes at Harrison’s home where all three members would talk casually including some bits where they would play a bit of music. There are also these inserts with audio from the band’s BBC interviews with deejay Brian Matthews that are shown in a typical bedroom in Britain during the heyday of Beatlemania. Editor/sound supervisor Andy Matthews, along with sound editor Danny Longhurst would gather a lot of the footage and audio tapes used from the past including archival interviews Lennon made during the 1970s to get things from his perspective.

The ninth episode of the series from Bob Smeaton is about the making of the project with interviews from McCartney, Harrison, Starr, Martin, Aspinall, and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra who would produce the new songs the Beatles made through Lennon’s demo tapes. The episode also highlight the band creating new songs through the demos yet their attempt for Now and Then was hampered by the technology they had at the time in which Harrison was the one who stopped the recording. The series is overall restored by the people at Wingnut which is the same company from Peter Jackson who worked and restored footage for the 2021 documentary film Get Back. While there are bits from the original broadcast cut out, a lot of it is minor as it does not do much to change the story the band is telling. The music is also restored thanks to the work of music supervisor Giles Martin through the MAL audio-learning device.

The Beatles Anthology is a magnificent documentary series from Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, and Oliver Murray. It is a series that fans of the Beatles should see as it is a documentary series that allows the Beatles to tell their story. Even as they go into depth over stories of moments in their lives of the Beatles even though it is an incomplete story due to their reluctance in talking about the things that led to their break-up. Still, the documentary series does allow audiences to hear the story of the Fab Four along with a few who were around the cultural zeitgeist that were the Beatles. In the end, The Beatles Anthology is an outstanding documentary series about the Beatles.

The Beatles: The Albums: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be

Compilations: (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (1) - (Let It Be… Naked) - (Love) - (Anthology 4)

The Beatles Films: (A Hard Day’s Night) – (Help!) – Magical Mystery Tour - (Yellow Submarine) – Let It Be - The Beatles: Get Back

Related: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Across the Universe - Nowhere Boy - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Good Ol' Freda - (Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years) – (Beatles ’64) – (The Beatles: John) – (The Beatles: Paul) – (The Beatles: George) – (The Beatles: Ringo)

© thevoid99 2025

2026 Blind Spot Series Announcement

 

2025 is coming to end with George Cukor's version of A Star is Born from 1954 starring Judy Garland being the final Blind Spot for the year. With that film set to be watched this month. The time has come to look ahead for the next Blind Spot Series as making the selection for the 2026 edition was not easy. I was hoping to do films that I have heard about for years but some of them are not available for streaming while wanting to purchase the films in a physical form is also too expensive or too hard to find. Instead, my selection is based on films that are available to watch digitally and physically as including films I currently own on Blu-Ray including a few I hope to get in 2026. My selection once again is largely films that have been released from the 2nd half of the 20th Century with one film being released in the 21st Century. 2 of these films are films by women as I felt that women are underrepresented as I chose 2 different filmmakers for this Blind Spot Series as they are from different continents yet are films from the 1990s. Another reason for the selection with this list is to choose films from different countries and continent including by revered filmmakers whose films I had seen before. Here are the 12 films in chronological order that I will watch for the 2026 Blind Spot Series:

Cairo Station by Youseff Chahine

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World by Stanley Kramer

The Gospel According to St. Matthew by Pier Paolo Passolini

7 Women by John Ford

Network by Sidney Lumet

That Obscure Object of Desire by Luis Bunuel

Altered States by Ken Russell

A Confucian Confusion by Edward Yang

One Hundred and One Nights by Agnes Varda

The Watermelon Woman by Cheryl Dunne

The Wind Will Carry Us by Abbas Kiarostami

Lilya 4-ever by Lukas Moodyson

© thevoid99 2025

Films That I Saw: November 2025

 

The year is one month away to ending and this has been a bad year for everyone. The government shut down did end but the costs are great as Americans are living in a dictatorship. This month was not as bad as the previous but considering the rising costs and all the shit that is happening. 2025 is not going to end well despite the election results turning towards left though will it really mean anything? New York City just elected a socialist mayor in Zohran Mamdani who plans to change things that will upset the wealthy which will be a good thing. Still, I am uncertain if these changes will do any good as there is just so much chaos around as I am just over it.

It is not just things in America that is bad as the rest of the world is also going through problems as Ukraine is now likely to lose their conflict with Russia and it is a reminder that the bad guys have won again. There was a massive fire at a Hong Kong building and all sorts of things. Here at home, things are OK despite there being a minor car accident earlier this month though my mother, my niece, and I did not have any injuries though my van only had exterior damage. I am more worried about how much the ticket I will have to pay in January. The newest problem we have at home is that our big smart TV in the TV room has died as this is upsetting for a lot of reasons as I watch things on that TV as it is connected to the Blu-Ray player I bought a few years ago. My mother is really upset as she likes to watch YouTube and all sorts of things on that TV as well as play music loud. Fortunately, we will get a new one next month as both a birthday and Xmas present for her. Other than that, everything is just OK despite how bad things are now.

In the month of November 2025, I saw a total of 9 films in 7 first-timers and 2 re-watches with 2 first-timers being films directed or co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. An improvement from the previous month as the highlight of the month is my Blind Spot film in Notorious. The other highlight of the month has been Die My Love as I will not post a best first-timers nor a re-watch list due to the small amount of films I saw this month.

Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching

Heroic Doses



The things I do for Jena Malone, as this short film that she and Rachel Leigh Cook appear in as dinner guests at a dinner party, is among the stupidest things I have ever seen. Directed, co-written, and starring Dugan Gundelfinger, it is a short film about a dinner party where Gundelfinger talks about some things where he is tripping on things as it goes into some weird things. At first, it was interesting due to style of filmmaking that include puppetry and such but then it gets really dumb. Especially the climax as it involves everyone in the film doing something you do not want to do at a dinner table. If I was asked to piss myself in front of everyone. I would be walking out as I refuse to embarrass myself with shit.

Everything in This Dream



A six-minute short film consisting of deleted footage from Inherent Vice by Paul Thomas Anderson. The material that did not make it into the final film is still fascinating as it features some amazing montages with Joanna Newsom’s narration appearing throughout. The short also reveal some great work from Katharine Waterston and Josh Brolin that highlighted how great they were in the film as it is upsetting that Brolin did not get an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film. This is something fans of PTA should go seek out.

Lush: A Far from Home Movie



Among one of the key bands of the shoegaze genre of the early 90s, Lush were unique for their dream yet noisy sound that also carried a melodic sensibility and the gorgeous vocal harmonies of vocalists/guitarists Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson. This short film from the band’s bassist Phil King features footage from the band touring around the world in the 1990s as it was shot on a Sankyo Super 8 camera. The footage displays the band getting lots of attention in Europe and Japan along with some success in America though their attempt to break into that market in 1996 would prove to be futile as having a band like that tour with the Goo Goo Dolls is just stupid. The songs in the film are from the band’s 1994 sophomore album Split with the last song When I Die being its most appropriate closer as it also serves as a tribute to the band’s late drummer Chris Acland who died via suicide in October of 1996. This is a short that fans of Lush should see.

Oasis



I had this in my YouTube watch later playlist as I thought it was the short film by Gints Zilalobis of Flow fame. Well, it turned out to be something else though the animation is good. It is a short film about an alien who lands in a desert where he finds a seed and meets a giant sand creature who would take the alien to this oasis. It is a good short worth watching.

Fragments for Venus



The 30th short film that is part of Miu Miu’s Women’s Tale short film series from Alice Diop is among the best short films from that series. It is a short film that is about the idea of Venus and what it means to be black. It is shown in two different segments with the first being a woman at a museum looking at paintings where the idea of Venus is white where there are blacks in the background. Then the film moves to Brooklyn where there are many examples of Black women walking around where Venus is alive in well as Black women. It is a great short film by Diop who reminds everyone that Black is Beautiful.

The Beatles Anthology (episodes 1-4)

Now, I am rewatching this series that I saw back in 1995 though this is an expanded version from the 1996 home video releases with some new edits in this remastered edition. I will have a full review of the series though there have been a few things I have noticed based on memory of what they did cut out. Yet, it is just minor cuts as I am glad to revisit this as I grew up on the Beatles while I have yet to hear some of the material in the new fourth disc of the release though I am not a fan of the new mix of Real Love as I think John Lennon’s vocals sound like shit in the new mix among other small bits in the mix that does not work. I am glad though the original 1995/1996 mix is still around.

Well, that is all for November. The first thing I will post in December will be the official announcement of the 2026 Blind Spot Series as the rest of the month will be devoted to some new releases that are available along with stuff related to a few new releases including films I have rented such as Caught Stealing and my final Blind Spot for the year in A Star is Born by George Cukor. As far as theatrical viewings, the only film I want to watch is Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair as I want to watch it in the way Quentin Tarantino intended to as I do not have any interest in anything new that is coming out. I could not keep up with what is coming out as I would rather stay home and wait for the new smart TV that will be a Xmas/birthday present for my mother who wants it more than I do. Once I finish my Blind Spots for the year, I will make an official announcement for plans for 2026 that will include plans on the Auteurs series as I prefer to focus on updating a few past entries in relation to some films I had seen in recent months.



Before I bid adieu, this month has seen many notable figures pass away this month but for me. No one is bigger than Gary “Mani” Mounfield of the Stone Roses and Primal Scream where if you were to ask me some of the all-time best bass guitar players of all-time. Mani would be in my top 5 as the bass lines he provided in the songs by the Roses were just melodic and added that extra element of swagger that made the Roses so beloved. When the band broke up in 1996, Mani would join the Scottish indie band Primal Scream where he would play with them for 15 years as he saved the band from nearly breaking up as he helped raise their game. His passing leaves a major hole in popular music as he was a true original when it came to the bass as he will be missed. The tributes posted all over the world, including members from both bands he played in show how beloved he is. Thank you, Mani. We will miss you.



Other notable figures who have passed away this month include writer Tom Stoppard, Jimmy Cliff, Italian footballer Lorenzo Buffon, Bollywood legend Dharmendra, Jellybean Johnson of the Time, Italian singer Ornella Vanoni, video game designer/programmer Rebecca Heineman, TV writer Dan McGrath from The Simpsons, Todd Snider, journalist Jim Avila, Cleto Escobedo III from Jimmy Kimmel’s TV show, Sally Kirkland, basketball legend Michael Ray Richardson, Lenny Wilkens, the legendary Tatsuya Nakadai, filmmaker Lee Tamahori, molecular biologist James Watson, Pauline Collins, Donna Jean Godchaux of the Grateful Dead, and Diane Ladd. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…



© thevoid99 2025

2025 Blind Spot Series: Notorious

 

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Ben Hecht, Notorious is the story of a U.S. spy who asks the daughter of a German war criminal to seduce a Nazi industrialist hiding out in South America. The film is a post-World War II spy drama that explores a woman caught in a deadly triangle with large stakes involving the possible return of the Nazis. Starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern, Leopoldine Konstantin, Reinhold Schunzel, Moroni Olsen, Ivan Triesault, Alexis Minotis, Wally Brown, Sir Charles Mendl, Ricardo Costa, Eberhard Krumschmidt, and Fay Baker. Notorious is a mesmerizing and gripping film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Set in 1946, the film revolves around the daughter of a German war criminal who is asked by an American spy to travel to Rio de Janeiro to seduce a former Nazi industrialist who is conspiring to revive the Nazi party. It is a film that that explores a woman who is asked by a government agent to Brazil to uncover a Nazi conspiracy plot that featured one of her father’s former colleagues. Ben Hecht’s screenplay has a straightforward narrative, yet it is more about two people who are tasked in uncovering a plot that would threaten post-war peace as they also must contend with their feelings for one another. T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) is a government agent for the U.S. who is tasked in recruiting Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) since her German father had been sent to prison for his Nazi activities by the U.S. government. Huberman is unwilling to help Devlin as she had her own issues with her father as she feels ruined by him though Devlin’s offer to get a second chance is something she could not refuse.

Upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro, Huberman learns her assignment is to infiltrate the home of one of her father’s former colleagues in Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains) while Devlin would learn that his superiors want her to seduce Sebastian. Huberman reluctantly agrees to seduce Sebastian as she would charm and woo him where she learns about what he is doing with a bunch of former Nazi officials. The one person who is suspicious about Huberman is Sebastian’s mother Madame Anna Sebastian (Leopoldine Konstantin) as she becomes troubled by her son’s infatuation with Huberman. Hecht’s script also plays into the sense of tension where Huberman realizes she is in the middle as she and Devlin try to maintain their own secrecy and professionalism but have become infatuated with one another.

Alfred Hitchcock’s direction is entrancing for the way he creates this sense of dread and tension set in largely Rio de Janeiro as well as playing into a lot of the romantic drama that occurs throughout the film. Shot on locations in Los Angeles, California including RKO Studios with rear-projection and second unit shots of locations such as Rio de Janeiro and Miami. Hitchcock would create a film that has an offbeat presentation where its first 20 minutes is set in Miami where Hitchcock’s usage of medium and wide shots at Huberman’s house showcases a house party where she wants to wind down while he does not show Devlin’s face for minutes as he is mysterious party crasher. When the film moves to Rio, Hitchcock does create an atmosphere that feels lively yet there is something off about it when he shoots scenes at Sebastian’s home. Notably as it is a posh house full of people but also secrets with a key being a major prop in the film’s second act when Devlin makes a visit. Considering that the film was made during the period of the Hays Code where kisses could not be longer than three seconds, a scene early in Rio where Devlin and Huberman are in a room where they would kiss each other where it would last a couple of seconds and then another couple of seconds.

It is among these moments in the film where Hitchcock would push the envelope of what could be done while he also employ some unique close-ups to help play into the drama and suspense. Notably in his compositions where he would have something happening in the foreground and something else happening in the background. Hitchcock would also employ some unique visuals during the third function as it play into Sebastian’s own revelation about Huberman where there is a sense of danger that is to happen. Even as characters become compromised with some taking control as its ending is an ambiguous one as it plays into the fates of those involved as well as what Hitchcock does not show that adds more intrigue. Overall, Hitchcock crafts a riveting and evocative film about a German-American woman asked to spy on one of her father’s former colleagues while falling in love with an American spy.

Cinematographer Ted Tetzlaff does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography with its usage of lighting for some of the interior scenes in the day and night as well as the way some rooms are lit as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Theron Warth does excellent work with the editing as it employ some straight cuts to let shots linger for a bit while there is also a scene that include some fast-cuts that help play into the suspense. Art directors Albert S. D’Agostino and Carroll Clark, along with set decorators Darrell Silvera and Claude Carpenter, do brilliant work with the look of the home that Huberman lives in Miami as well as the American embassy interiors in Rio and the Sebastian estate. Gown designer Edith Head does amazing work with the dresses and evening gowns that Huberman would wear at parties and other social events that play into Huberman’s personality.

The special effects by Vernon L. Walker and Paul Eagler are fantastic for the rear-projects for driving scenes as well as some dazzling visuals that play into a key scene in the film’s third act. The sound work of John E. Tribby and Terry Kellum do superb work with the sound in how things sound in a room as well as a tense scene that play into an event that would add to the suspense. The film’s music by Roy Webb is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score with bombastic string arrangements and pieces that ranges from waltz-like sounds to sambas as it help adds to suspense and drama.

The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Fay Baker as a friend of Huberman in Ethel at the dinner party early in the film, Sir Charles Mendl as another friend of Huberman in the Commodore, and Wally Brown as another partygoer friend of Huberman. In the roles of former Nazi associates working with Sebastian include Friedrich von Ledebur as Knerr, Peter von Zerneck as Rossner, Ricardo Costa as a Brazilian in Dr. Barbosa, Ivan Triesault as the conspirator Mathis, Eberhard Krumschmidt as the conspirator Emil Hupka who would become troubled during a dinner in the film’s second act. Alexis Minotis is terrific as the Sebastian butler Joseph who watches over everything while becomes suspicious about Huberman. Moroni Olsen is superb as a U.S. agent in Walter Beardsley who works with Devlin. Reinhold Schunzel is excellent as a mysterious scientist in Dr. Anderson who is a colleague of Sebastian as he is also one of the leaders of the Nazi group.

Louis Calhern is fantastic as Devlin’s partner in Captain Paul Prescott who works in the Secret Service as he is trying to keep Devlin at bay while ensuring the assignment goes well. Leopoldine Konstantin is amazing as Sebastian’s mother Madame Anna as a woman that is suspicious towards Huberman as she is also a woman that is way more powerful and cunning than people give her credit for when she realizes that she knows something is not right about Huberman. Claude Rains is brilliant as Alex Sebastian as a former colleague of Huberman’s father who had a crush on Huberman as the idea of being with her again gives him a distraction that he craves from his Nazi activities though Rains brings that sense of a man who cannot be fooled easily where he would learn the truth.

Finally, there is the duo of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in spectacular performances in their respective roles as T.R. Devlin and Alicia Huberman. Grant displays that sense of charm as well as a demeanor that makes him tough and cunning. Grant also displays that sensitivity when he becomes concerned about Huberman while aware that he is falling for her as he tries to not to get both in trouble. Bergman’s performance as Huberman is entrancing in her radiance as a woman that knows she is ruined by her father’s activities and a lack of a real future until she is asked to help the U.S. government to clear her own name. Bergman also displays this sense of a woman trying to maintain some control as well as knowing what is at stake where she would later cope with her own feelings for Devlin and what is at stake as it is one of Bergman’s finest performances.

Notorious is a magnificent film by Alfred Hitchcock that features tremendous leading performances from Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, Ben Hecht’s riveting screenplay, gorgeous visuals, a study of love and secrecy, and a vibrant yet intense music soundtrack. It is a film that is not just an intoxicating and gripping noir film but also a film that also pushes the limits of what could be done to display sensuality and desire. In the end, Notorious is an outstanding film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) – The 39 Steps (1935 film) - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) – The Lady Vanishes (1938 film) - (Jamaica Inn) – Rebecca - (Foreign Correspondent) – (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) – Suspicion (1941 film) - (Saboteur) – (Shadow of a Doubt) – Lifeboat - Bon Voyage (1944 film) - (Spellbound) – (The Paradine Cage) – Rope - (Under Capricorn) – (Stage Fright) – Strangers on a Train - I Confess - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) - (The Wrong Man) – Vertigo - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) – (Topaz) – (Frenzy) – (Family Plot)

© thevoid99 2025

Die My Love

 

Based on the novel Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz, Die My Love is the story of a couple who travel to Montana for a quieter life as a woman deals with post-partum depression as she starts to unravel mentally and emotionally. Directed by Lynne Ramsay and screenplay by Ramsay, Edna Walsh, and Alice Birch, the film is an exploration of a couple dealing with new changes in their lives only for the changes to not live up to what it seems as a woman struggles with motherhood and all its expectations. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Nick Nolte, and Sissy Spacek. Die My Love is an enthralling and uncompromising film by Lynne Ramsay.

The film is about a woman who unravels after the birth of her child as she descends into madness putting strain into her relationship with her boyfriend months after they move to Montana. It is a film that is an exploration of post-partum depression as well as a woman coming to terms with the reality of this new change in her life. The film’s screenplay by Lynne Ramsay, Edna Walsh, and Alice Birch does not have a conventional narrative as there is a flashback scene as well as elements of surrealism. It is more of a character study where the script explores the couple in Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) as they arrive in rural Montana away from New York City to start a new life at the latter’s childhood home near where his parents live. When Grace becomes pregnant, there is a lot of excitement but its aftermath in which they have a baby born with a name to be determined. Things start to fall apart with Jackson often away at work and not understanding her mental and emotional state.

Even as Grace begins to suspect that Jackson is cheating on her after finding condoms in the glove compartment of their car where he often arriving home late. Jackson would attempt to smooth things over in buying a dog, which would prove to be a poor decision considering they have a baby to take care of. It only adds to the tension and Grace’s own mental issues as she turns to Jackson’s mother Pam (Sissy Spacek) who is also going through own issues including sleepwalking with a shotgun. The script also play into elements of surrealism as it relates to a mysterious man in a motorcycle named Karl (Lakeith Stanfield) that Grace is aware of to deal with Jackson’s affairs with other women. Grace’s encounters with Karl play into her own sexual desires, which is not getting at home to the point that she would act in a feral manner while struggling to raise her newborn son.

Ramsay’s direction is entrancing in the way it captures a woman succumbing to madness as it opens with a long shot of Grace and Jackson entering the latter’s childhood that once belonged to his uncle as it is this simple static medium-wide shot that goes on for a few minutes. Shot on a 1:33:1 aspect ratio and on location in province of Alberta in Canada as Montana, Ramsay uses the aspect ratio to create this sense of claustrophobia that help play into Grace’s madness as she become suffocated by the changes in her life as well as the lack of control in being a new mother. While there are some wide shots that are presented in the film including scenes in a car whenever she and Jackson are on the road. Much of Ramsay’s direction is emphasized on close-ups and medium shots to play into Grace’s mental deterioration and her relationship with Jackson falling apart. Even as there are montages where Grace would be alone at the house with her baby as music would blare loudly and it is the same song.

Ramsay also delves into elements of surrealism that includes a strange meeting with Jackson’s late father Harry (Nick Nolte) whom she is dancing with in the forest at night as he is seen previously in a flashback as he has dementia. Some of these scenes at night are surreal, including a shot that followed the film’s opening shot of a forest fire. It is among these moments in the film that play into Grace’s own descent while a few scenes in which Grace and Jackson are in a gathering show the sense of discomfort the former begins to have where she would slowly unravel. There are also these abrupt and shocking moments of violence that play into Grace’s descent into madness as the third act forces Jackson to realize that she needs help. The third act is not just about the realization of what Grace is dealing with but also an understanding about a world that expects too much from her. Whether it is in being a writer, a wife, a mother, a lover, or anything else as it becomes overwhelming to the point that there is only one path to go. Overall, Ramsay crafts a visceral and unflinching film about a woman’s descent into madness following the birth of her child.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its colorful and stylish photography for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as the usage of bluish filters for the exterior scenes at night. Editor Toni Froschhammer, along with additional work by Adam Biskupski, does excellent work with the editing as her usage of montages, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts help play into sense of mania that looms throughout the film. Production designer Tim Grimes, along with set decorator Amber Humphries and art director Amanda Nicholson, does amazing work with the look of Jackson’s home as well as a place made for a party in the film’s third act. Costume designer Catherine George does terrific work with costumes where it is casual apart from a party scene where they wear stylish clothing.

The special effects work of Lindsey Dietz, along with visual effects supervisors James Frislev, Koray Guzey, Victor Tomi, and Mehmet Kurtulus Tuncer, is fantastic for some of the visuals such as the forest fire and a few other bits to play into Grace’s encounter with surrealism. Sound designer Tim Burns does incredible work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere that include sparse sounds of flies flying around the house as well as how music is presented on location as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Lynne Ramsay, George Vjestica, Ben Frost, and music supervisor Raife Burchell is superb as it features original music from Ramsay, Vjestica, and Frost who provide a mixture of score music ranging from ambient music to noisy rock along with a cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. The soundtrack supervised by Frost features a diverse music soundtrack from Toni Basil, Billie Holiday, Eels, the Cocteau Twins, Cream, David Bowie, Raffi, Tom Philips & D.T.S., Peggy Lipton, Elvis Presley, Shirley Ellis, Pinky and Perky, and an inspired usage of the John Prine & Iris Dement duet of In Spite of Ourselves.

The casting by Lucy Pardee is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Sarah McPherson as a cashier who annoys Grace, Gabrielle Rose and Debs Howard as a couple of old ladies who are friends of Pam, Sarah Lind as an acquaintance of Jackson and Grace in Jen who does share Grace’s own issues with motherhood, and the duo of Kennedy and Victoria Calderwood as Grace and Jackson’s unnamed baby. Lakeith Stanfield is superb as the mysterious man named Karl who rides a motorcycle as he is drawn to Grace leading to an affair at a farm. Nick Nolte is brilliant as Jackson’s father Harry as he only appears in 3 scenes such as a flashback of a man dealing with dementia and in a couple of surreal moments where he is the one man who really understands Grace. Sissy Spacek is amazing as Jackson’s mother Pam as a woman dealing with grief as well as her own issues as a woman where she is wise as well as eccentric considering she sleepwalks with a shotgun.

Robert Pattinson is excellent as Jackson as a man that is trying to deal with Grace’s depression the best way he can though he makes some awful decision where Pattinson brings some great facial expressions to showcase his anger as he is a man that clueless at times but also frustrated in his ability to understand what his partner is going through. Finally, there is Jennifer Lawrence in a performance for the ages as Grace as a writer who is struggling with post-partum depression where Lawrence goes all out in terms of her physicality and in displaying the sense of rage and madness her character goes through. It is a performance that can be described as raw and primal in terms of the ferality her character starts to act where she even becomes indifferent in some stages as it relates to her relationship with Jackson where Lawrence has this air of danger and fragility that play into a woman coming undone.

Die My Love is a magnificent film by Lynne Ramsay that features a tremendous leading performance from Jennifer Lawrence. Along with its ensemble cast, eerie visuals, its raw take on post-partum depression and madness, stylish presentation, and a blistering music soundtrack. It is a film that does not play it safe in its depiction of post-partum depression and madness while also being this study of a woman lost in a reality that does not understand her pain. In the end, Die My Love is an outstanding film by Lynne Ramsay.

Lynne Ramsay Films: Ratcatcher - Morvern Callar - We Need to Talk About Kevin - You Were Never Really Here - (Polaris)

Related: The Auteurs #6: Lynne Ramsay - Favorite Films #9: Morvern Callar

© thevoid99 2025

Films That I Saw: October 2025

 

We are two months away from the end of the year and in all honesty, I wish it would end right now as I do not know if anyone will survive the next year. Considering the chaos, we are in with the Israel-Gaza conflict still happening as well as other events around the world including Argentina leaning towards the right with help from the U.S. That is nothing compared here in America as another government shutdown has happened where 42 million Americans, me included, will not have access to SNAP as people are starving while our fuckhead dictator has decided to destroy the east wing of the White House to create a stupid ballroom that is nothing more than a reflection of his own ego. America. We are the worst country in the world and based on an article I saw on The Guardian in the U.K. Yes, we are living in a golden age of stupidity.

This was not a good month for me personally as my plans to watch a bunch of horror films this month went down the drain thanks in part to visitors from family friends who have now unfortunately overstayed their welcome. Since my dad’s passing, they have been there for us getting my mother a new refrigerator, a new dishwasher, the air fryer, and a bunch of things as they have been helpful. This year, however, they went too far though they did fix the refrigerator because of a leak. Yet, I have always felt that no matter how much they help us. I always feel like we owe them in many ways as they come to Atlanta once a year to get things out of storage little by little and then return to Panama or to Philadelphia where their daughter lives with their son Luca. We give them a place to live but I have noticed a pattern whenever they come here or whenever they are set to arrive as it always lead to problems with me and my mother.

The same arguments have always led to some horrible things, and I have now noticed that it has become quite negative. This year was no exception as I tried to tell her that something was not right, and I always knew something bad was happening. She ignored it as usual but then came the unexpected visit of their daughter, her husband, and Luca as a surprise as they invaded the house. It became too much for me to deal with as I started to isolate myself in my room and I could not deal with all the drama that is happening as they would try to give me gifts that I do not need. Food that I have never eaten before and would not like. Clothes that I do not need as I have more than enough. After they left the house as we had to babysit my niece for a few days as my sister had to go out of town for work. My mother realized the truth as she decided not to have them next year as it was too much for her as well. Especially as she often talks to one of them as that woman always complains and complains about everything.

It is things like that I could not deal with as I do not want to go through that again as I nearly relapsed into serious depression. My mother is right now just trying to focus on the upcoming holidays while also being someone for her cousin to talk to as she is going through her own depression since she has no kids at home anymore. Plus, her husband is often away at work leaving her to be with just her pets as this sense of loneliness is alarming. We did invite her for the holidays or sometime early next year as she is my mother’s favorite cousin and I have always been fond of her.

In the month of October, I only saw 6 films in 3 first-timers and 3 re-watches with one film being directed or co-directed by a woman as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Honestly, pathetic considering that October is a favorite month of mine in watching horror as the highlight of the month has been my Blind Spot film in Cure. Given the lack of films that I saw this month, I will not post any lists as I did not really watch much other than the channels I am subscribed to on YouTube and old seasons of King of the Hill including parts of season 4 as I had not watched some episodes from that season and everything else from that series until the most recent season.

In November, I plan to watch new releases such as Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein while I am unsure what other new releases I hope to watch. The Blind Spot for November will be Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious while I am unsure if I will finish my Auteurs piece on Robert Eggers as I have now been thinking about updating my Auteurs piece on Paul Thomas Anderson as every upcoming Auteurs piece that I have previously announced will be slated for next year.



Before I bid adieu, given that this was an intense month for me. This was also a month of incredible loss as the passing of Diane Keaton this month has been a shock and a sad one as she is an icon in cinema. I grew up watching her films as a kid and the idea of not having Diane Keaton around is unimaginable as she will be missed. This is also a reminder that given the passing of Robert Redford and Gene Hackman this year that a lot of these giants of New Hollywood are starting to become less as if they were the last true film stars of their kind.



Also passing away include Tcheky Kayro who passed away earlier today, June Lockhart, filmmaker Peter Watkins, local Philadelphia rock DJ Pierre Robert, Maria Riva, saxophonist James Senese, Prunella Scales of Fawlty Towers, jazz legend Jack DeJohnette, Bjorn Andresen, David Ball of Soft Cell, Robert Lawrence Horne aka Mo of Men on a Mission, chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, Martine Brochard, baseball legend Sandy Alomar Jr., poster creator Drew Struzan, casting director Jackie Burch, John Lodge of the Moody Blues, Thommy Price of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Paolo Bonacelli, filmmaker Ken Jacobs, Dame Jane Goodall, and two of the finest musicians of the 20th/21st Century in D’Angelo and “Space” Ace Frehley of KISS. Godspeed to you all and we will miss you. Another notable figure that passed is Lostprophets vocalist Ian Watkins who was killed in prison for a bunch of sick shit including pedophilia and an attempt to rape a baby. Well, fuck him and to the prisoners who killed him. Thank you. One less motherfucker to deal with. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…



© thevoid99 2025